Will You Be My Valentine? (Broken Love Special!)
by ObakeAri
Summary: All Hana Nii ever wanted for her birthday was a valentine. That's easier said than done when your parents are Ari Uzumaki and Itachi Uchiha, the Ultimate Tag Team of the Leaf. Especially when Itachi would do absolutely anything to protect his flower from the hands of idiot boys. (Oneshot)Valentine's Day Special!


It's a day late, but as I promised, here's my Valentine's Day Special for Broken Love! This is set several years after the Fourth Great Ninja War, but we're pretending that Itachi didn't exactly die like he did in Broken Love (or did he...? This may or may not become a spoiler for Broken Love...you didn't hear that from me). Don't try to question the logic in how we got from BL to here, it's a fluffy oneshot that I did instead of a chapter yesterday (I'm just not putting it up until now because...well, I was on a date!) Anyway, I hope you all enjoy this, and if you're reading this and haven't checked out Broken Love yet, and you are a major Itachi fan, you totally should!

ENJOI

* * *

**Hana**

February 14: the worst day of the year. People go around prancing like madmen trying everything humanly possible to woo your person of interest whether its chocolates, a boatload of makeup, chocolate hearts, movie tickets, assorted chocolates, gigantic teddy bears, or gigantic teddy bears wearing boatloads of makeup that are holding movie tickets and are made completely out of chocolate. And yes, I've seen that happen before.

It's not like I hate Valentine's Day, in fact I love the idea of romance. It's adorable. And when I see my parents and how in love they still are with each other, thousands of dates, seven wedding anniversaries, three kids, and Dad almost dying twice later…all I can do throughout the month of February is dream about the day I meet my true love. My first Valentine. It's everything I could ask for.

And why is it the first day of the year, you ask? Well, simply put, I'm probably the only girl in the class who has never had a Valentine. And even worse, February 14th is my birthday.

And this is exactly why I threw my pillow at my dad and accidentally knocked him over when he tried shaking me awake that morning.

"Happy Birthday, my sweet flower!" he cheered with a huge smile on his face. I groaned in response and pulled the covers over my face, trying to shield the light that was coming into my eyes. At that, Dad frowned a little confused, "Oh come on, Hana, you're only thirteen once!"

"_No_!" I growled, throwing my pillow in the air. Seconds later, I heard an "oof!" as the pillow made contact with Dad's face and he fell on his butt. I sat up immediately after that to find Dad sitting on the flower, rubbing his head as he grimaced. I leapt out of bed, covering my mouth with my hands and cried out, "Oh my gosh! Dad! I'm so sorry!"

"You're fine," Dad smiled the incident off as he stood, then took my hand to help me stand fully. Dad looked me over and started laughing, "You're just like your mother, you know that?"

I grinned and placed my hands on my hips and asked, "Which one?"

"Yes," he answered, kissing my forehead. He then brushed my hair out of my face and said, "why do you always have to hide those pretty eyes of yours?"

I groaned, pushing the hair back in front of me, "Daaad, they're weird!"

"No they're not," Dad protested. He left my bangs alone but kept playing with my hair and eventually (and slyly) tucked part of it behind my ear, getting it back out of my face as he said, "they're yours and they are beautiful. You know, Mom is the exact same way about her hair. What's with you two?"

I shrugged. At about that moment, Mom came skidding into the room squealing as she readied her camera and cheered, "It's my baby's birthday! Ah! How does it feel to be a teenager?"

"_Mooom_!" I groaned, rolling my eyes as she held the camera up, "I just woke up! I'm not ready!"

"You are always ready, my darling!" Mom protested as she took a few shots of me glaring at her, "why is it always the photogenic people who don't like pictures? I mean, look at me! I'm a hot mess every day of the year and I still get in the shot sometimes!"

"Key word being 'sometimes', Ari," Dad rolled his eyes. He then smiled and walked over to Mom, giving her a big hug and a kiss on the cheek, "and Happy Valentine's day to the most beautiful woman in the world."

I held in a smile. Those two were so cute! But, being the lovingly adopted teenaged daughter, it was my job to give them hell whenever they got romantic with each other, "hey! If you want to have more kids, go do it in your own bed!"

"Hana!" Mom gasped, pretending to be appalled, "we aren't that bad!"

I giggled lightly, but my giggles turned into squeals as Mom ran up to me and spun me around as she held me around the waist, "I can't believe you're growing up!" she cried.

Dad chuckled as he wrapped his arms around both of us and said, "alright, alright, it's a joyous day, but there are things that need to be done before we celebrate. The twins still have school and Hana you have training with your squad in less than an hour and you have a gymnastics competition this weekend. Didn't you say you wanted to spend an hour at the gym after training today?"

I sighed heavily and wriggled out of the embrace. Mom groaned and glared at Dad, saying, "Ita, you can be a real downer when you put your sensei cap on, you know that?"

Dad laughed as he crossed his arms and said, "Don't deny that I'm right. You have to meet your squad today too, you know."

"Shut up, Ponytail," Mom teased, shoving Dad lightly. She then turned to me and said, "go get dressed, sweetheart. If you still want to go to the gym today, go ahead and pack your grips and hand guards because we'll be doing the Uneven Bars."

"Okay!" I said smiling. I loved the gym. I loved the thrill of competing and flying through the air and feeling graceful as I did so. And I loved training. I didn't really like fighting, but just getting out there and working on chakra control while having friendly competition with my teammates Aoki and Daichi felt so liberating. I could be myself in those two elements. I think the best part was that Dad was our squad's sensei and Mom was my gymnastics coach. Most kids my age would hate to see their parents around so much, but I prefer it that way. I don't know why, I think it just has to do with how everything happened when I was little. They took me in when no one else would. Mom became the best friend and the only person who understood me and what I was, while Dad became my knight in shining armor that protected us from danger.

I quickly got dressed in a tank-top and capris, throwing my hair up in a ponytail and fastening my leaf headband around my waist like a belt. I ran downstairs to find that Mom had already gotten breakfast ready. The twins were arguing adamantly about…something, and Uncle Naruto and Uncle Sasuke weren't setting a much better example as they were in some shouting match as always. A typical morning at the Uchiha-Uzumaki household, if you ask me.

"Hey! Shisui! Chew your food for once, will ya?" Mom barked at my little brother. The dark haired boy groaned as he slunk back in his chair. Saya started laughing at him and in response, Shisui pulled on her pigtails. The twins were born when I was seven, two years after the Fourth Great Ninja war and about a year after Mom and Dad were able to "officially" marry. Between the village finding out the truth about the Uchiha coup and Dad's heart transplant and the war, they never really found time for a wedding, but lucky for me, I got to be the maid of honor _and_ the flower girl. Saya and Shisui were each named after my parents' best friends, both well-known Uchiha and probably the reasons Mom and Dad were actually able to confess their love to each other. And based on the stories, my siblings seemed to act an awful lot like my late aunt and uncle.

"Kids…do you have to do this?" Dad groaned, rubbing his forehead.

"Come on guys," I joked, sitting in between the twins, "Dad has enough gray hairs already! He doesn't need to lose those luscious locks to fall out while he's still kind of young!"

"I'm not gray!" Dad croaked, feeling the hair on his head in a panic. Mom started laughing as she finished setting the table. Cinnamon Rolls… I licked my lips as I watched Mom examine Dad's hair closely she then shook her head and gave him a sarcastic grin.

"I don't know, Ita…" Mom said, "I see a couple of gray hairs. Probably from all that time living in a cave, if you ask me."

"Am I really that gray?" Dad started to panic.

Mom laughed harder and kissed him on the cheek and said, "honey, there are two. You can't notice."

"Hnnn…"

"Oh, stop humming!" Mom smacked him on the shoulder before she took her seat at the table.

"So Ari," Naruto started, shoveling cinnamon rolls into his mouth, "Chunnin exams are coming up. Do you think you're going to send anyone from your team into them?"

"Probably," Mom noted, "Ikki has me a little worried but Aiko and Kai are pretty close to Chunnin level."

I perked up at the sound of Kai's name. Kai Senju was believed to be the next Hashirama as he could use the same wood style as the first hokage and was believed to be a prodigy even greater than the god of shinobi himself. Mom said that Kai had even inherited Uncle Hashi's easy-going and fun-loving personality and was like a miniature version of the man. I fought hard to keep my heart from pounding too hard in my chest. Kai was one of the first friends I had made in school. We saw each other less since we were on different teams, but it was no secret that every girl in our grade had the hots for Kai. He was a prankster like Uncle Naruto, but he was strong and he could have cared less about how good he was, always smiling. I had the biggest crush on Kai, but I kept it to myself. I was no different than the other girls who liked Kai. I was just a face in the crowd.

"What about you, Itachi? Your team is looking really good," Naruto grinned, winking at me. I blushed and looked away. Yeah, Aoki and Daichi were looking good…but I…I couldn't fight worth a damn. Dad would never admit it, but he knew that too.

Too my surprise, however, Dad started raving, "my team's looking great. I'd recommend all three of them."

"_Daaad!_" I groaned.

"What?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

"You're just saying that because I'm at the table!"

"Saying what?"

"Dad! You know I can't fight! I'm not Chunnin material!"

"Hana," Dad said sternly, "I am talking to our _Hokage_ about the future shinobi of this world. As your sensei it is my obligation to be honest with you. If I say you are ready for the Chunnin exams, you are ready. You're right; your fighting technique needs some work. A lot of work. But you have remarkable skill in several other areas. Gennin aren't expected to be perfect when they take the test, that's what its there for, so you can learn your strengths and weaknesses. I'm not going to put you into something you aren't ready for."

"And besides, if he were lying, he would be humming!" Mom added. Dad glared at her and sighed.

"That too."

Shortly after, I was hanging upside down in a tree, staring at Aoki and Daichi as they struggled to climb up the trunk without their hands.

"Aggh! Itachi-sensei, this is useless! When are we going to need to climb trees?" Aoki crumbled, rubbing his head after he fell for the tenth time.

"It's not the tree climbing I'm worried about, it's the chakra control," Dad explained, "you already know how to generate chakra in your hands as well as out of all your chakra points in order to create jutsu, but you must learn how to concentrate your chakra all in one specific area, such as your feet. You must also learn how to do so efficiently. Skills such as walking up trees and also walking on water can carry into other skills such as strengthening your taijutsu, creating successful genjutsu, and also using up less chakra when you create ninjutsu. This exercise is one that all shinobi go through at one point or another."

"This is stupid…" Aoki grumbled. I rolled my eyes, still hanging upside down.

"Come on, Aoki, you're just mad because you can't grasp it right away," I said, "you'll get it."

"And how come you can get the hang of it so easily, huh?" Aoki glared at me, "you can't even fight!"

"I can too!" I retorted, "I've knocked you on your butt plenty of times!"

"Yeah, but you're too gentle!" Aoki snapped back.

"Alright, alright, that's enough!" Dad scolded us, "Hana, hop down from there. The four of us need to have a talk.

I sighed heavily and leapt from the tree. We all sat in a circle as Dad began to explain, "you all need to understand that being the overall best isn't everything. You each have your strengths and you each have your weaknesses. Aoki, you excel in physical strength. Your taijutsu and ninjutsu are the best in the group. But Daichi you also have strong ninjutsu, and your cognitive ability is comparable to that of your elder cousin Shikamaru. But Hana has the best chakra control. You are very strong physically, even without the help of chakra, but with your chakra control and your personality, you would make either a fine medical ninja or genjutsu user."

"Go with the genjutsu, Hana!" Daichi encouraged me, a smile on his face, "but do medical ninjutsu on the side because you have the patience for it."

"Okay," I said timidly. I still didn't think I was that great, but alright…

Aoki on the other hand rolled his eyes and said, "yeah, medical ninja alright. No offense Hana, but you're too sensitive to be any kind of fighter. You're too gentle!"

"Aoki!" Daichi scolded.

"But she's prissy!" Aoki retorted.

"You're right," I sighed heavily, looking at the ground, "I'm not cut out to be a shinobi…I'm not a fighter."

"Hana," Dad scolded. I jumped and looked up at him, his eyes were narrowed and he crossed his arms as he frowned, "I think you all have developed a harmful stereotype for shinobi that isn't true. Just because one does not like to fight, or because you think they are 'gentle' doesn't mean that they are not cut out to be shinobi."

"But Dad!" I snapped back, "do you honestly think I could last two seconds out there on the battlefield? I barely got through the academy without the other girls picking on me for being too girly! And they're right, you can't be gentle if you want to be a good ninja!"

"Then what am I?" Dad asked us. We all grew quiet, not quite sure what he meant. Dad sighed and continued to speak as he stood up, "I grew up a pacifist. I still am. I hate taking lives, and my father always accused me of being too gentle. Do you not think that I am a good ninja?"

"Sensei, you're the strongest ninja I know!" Aoki assured, "you're one of the Heroes of the Leaf! You and Ari-Sensei are the Ultimate Tag Team, Silent and Deadly, and you were single-handedly responsible for taking out the Uchiha and saving the Leaf Village from total destruction."

Dad smiled sadly at that one and said, "Aoki, strength and gentleness are not the same thing. I do not think of myself as a hero nor do I take pride in taking out my family. It is true they wanted to overthrow the government and that the Uchiha's hatred is what started the Fourth War, but I still wept that night. I cried for my mother and my father, for Sasuke, for the life I would never have. That night still haunts me in my sleep, waking me from nightmares. Many people could say that I was too gentle for the job, that I would be tormented by the trauma more than a regular shinobi. My father's last words to me were just that, even. But you could also say that it was because I was too gentle that I was the only one for the job. It made me more mindful of the lives I was taking. Hana may not have the spirit of a fighter like you do, but she is still strong, just in her own way. Try to keep an open mind, and do not to forget that, alright?"

"Yes sir," we all said. Once we finished our training, I went over to the gym and tumbled with Mom to my heart's content. By the time we had finished, it was a little after noon, and Mom and I walked home discussing how practice went and talking about the coming night. Auntie Tabi—my birth mother—was coming home to celebrate my birthday with me. I loved it when she came home. She was like the favorite aunt who you could sit in your room and talk to for hours about life. I never got mom vibes from Auntie, and that was okay because she saw me more as the favorite niece rather than her daughter. She even joked that she just carried me in the womb as a favor for Mom because Dad was too busy having heart attacks over Mom's beauty to give her a baby.

"So, because it's Valentine's Day, I have to ask," Mom started, a mischievous grin on her face. I groaned. Here it comes… "How's the love life?"

"What love life?" I groaned, "no one talks to me!"

"You sure?" Mom raised an eyebrow, "because last time I checked, you were pretty popular."

"Well, no _boys_ talk to me! I'm not boyfriend material! I'm too…prissy…" I sighed heavily. Boys liked the strong girls. The girls like Mom. They didn't talk to the little flowers that sat in the back of the class and looked pretty. What good were they?

"It's funny that you say that," Mom thought out loud, "because when I was your age, you were just the kind of girl that would have boys drooling on the floor. I think you're more well-liked than you think."

"Oh?" I asked. I hated when she did this. Times were different now. Boys didn't like the prissy girls anymore. That was a fact. "Then why is it that no boy has ever asked me out?"

"Do you really want to know the answer?" Mom sighed heavily, "you might get mad at your dad if you do."

"What?" I asked confused, but right as I was about to ask what she meant, none other than Kai Senju came leaping from the trees, scaring the daylights out of me.

"Hi Ari-Sensei! Hi Hana!" Kai grinned, happy as can be, "were you at the gym today? You know, you're really good at gymnastics, Flower-Power!"

"Don't call me that!" I snapped back at Kai. Kai had given me that nickname when we were a lot younger, mostly because of my habit of giving everyone else nicknames and to complement Kai's name of Tree-Hugger. I was fine with the name, in fact, I kind of liked it, but then everyone else caught on to that name and started using it against me, turning what was innocent child's play into torture.

"I'm sorry," Kai frowned, pouting, "rough day?"

"Don't mind her, Kai," Ari said, patting me on the shoulder in a comforting way, "anyway, what's up?"

"Well…" Kai shifted around on his feet anxiously as he asked, "Ikki, Aiko, and I were all kind of wondering with the Chunnin exams coming up and all…if you thought we were ready enough to…I don't know…give it a try?"

Mom smiled and chuckled, "Now, Kai, I already told you that us Jonin don't know anything yet about the status of the exams. The meeting isn't until next week. If I recommend any of you and submit your names into the exams, I'll sit down and talk with you all next week, okay?"

Kai nodded, the biggest smile on his face. Man, he was so cute… "Alright! Thanks Sensei!"

"Say, are you doing anything for Valentine's Day?" Mom asked.

At that, Kai placed his arms behind his back and blushed, "Well…there is one girl I've always wanted to ask to be my Valentine, but I'm not sure she likes me too much…I don't know if I should go for it or not…"

"Kai," I groaned, "_Every_ girl likes you. You can't be human to not be attracted to you."

"So does that mean you like me?" Kai asked, perking up.

I jumped, blushing as I turned away, "Well, I'm not all human…" I mumbled.

"Oh. Right," Kai's shoulders sagged and he looked to the ground. I narrowed my eyes and gave Kai a confused look. What was with all his animation today? "Well…I don't know if I should go for it or not…"

"Go for it!" Mom cheered, patting Kai's head, "Hana's right, I can't see why a girl wouldn't say yes to you!"

Kai looked up at Mom, a small smile returning to his face as he said, "you really think so?"

"Of course!" I jumped in, "Kai, you're hot! Just ask whoever this is out! The worst she could say is 'no'."

"But that's what I'm afraid of!" Kai groaned, "what if she does say no? I've had a crush on this girl since I started the academy!"

"Oh my gosh, Kai," I groaned, face-palming, "just try it and see what happens. If she says no, I'll be by to mop up your tears later. You'll be _fine_."

Kai looked at me for the longest time, his green eyes serious. I cocked my head to the side as we made eye-contact.

"What?" I asked him.

"Nothing!" a smile returned to his face, "Anyway, I'll see you later, Hana! And happy birthday! Bye Sensei!"

"Bye!" Mom and I both waved goodbye as Kai left and we continued our way home. We walked in the front door when Mom said, "he's cute!"

"What? No, Mom! He's my friend!" I groaned. Oh please don't make me say it…please don't make me say that I like Kai…

"I bet you're the one he wants to be his Valentine," Mom winked at me.

"Fat chance! If I was, then why would he have talked to us about that?" I asked skepitically.

"Because, Hana, Kai is just that smooth! I see the kid every day too, you know," Mom grinned.

"What are we talking about?" Dad asked looking up from behind the counter. I held in a laugh as I stared at him. Being a lot more patient than Mom, he was usually the one who baked the cakes for Shisui, Saya, and I. His hair was pulled back into a high bun and he was wearing Mom's apron to keep icing from getting all over his jonin uniform which he still hadn't taken off with the exception of his vest.

"Dad, you look ridiculous," I giggled. Dad glared at me and in turn flung icing at my face.

Mom laughed at him and explained, "Oh, Kai was talking to us about Valentine's Day is all. I think he and Hana should get together. It'd be cute!"

"_Mom!_" I squealed, embarrassed as Dad practically fell on the floor as he screamed, "_Ari!_"

* * *

**Itachi**

No. No. No. No no no _NO!_ Hana was too young for boys! This was totally unacceptable! Boys were icky and stupid! They had no respect for women! Not even he or Shisui had enough respect for women, and they lived with all women! Well…Shisui was also seven, but still. This was unacceptable! Why would Ari bring this up anyway?

"She's too young for boyfriends!" was all Itachi could muster as he gathered himself and his dignity up off the floor.

Ari placed her hands on her hips and gasped, "Oh, come on Ita! She's the same age we were when you first kissed me!"

"Because you almost died! And we never started dating officially until much later!"

"Yeah, a year is _so_ much later!"

"I was talking about _after _I joined the Akatsuki! We went on one date before that so that doesn't count!"

"It counted for me!"

"You aren't helping my case!"

"Ugh…" Ari face-palmed as she sat down in at the kitchen table. Hana just stood there awkwardly, watching the exchange, her face redder than a valentine. "Ita, I'm beginning to wonder if you're the reason Hana doesn't have a boyfriend…"

"Huh?" Hana asked, completely confused. Itachi practically lost it, his heart breaking at the word "boyfriend."

"No, she doesn't have a boyfriend because she's smart and realizes that she is _too young_ to date boys! They have cooties at this age, don't they Hana?"

"Please don't…" Hana whimpered, covering her face. There was no way she actually had a _crush_ on someone…was there?

At about that moment, Sasuke came into the house and threw his weapons pouch on the floor as he walked to the living room, "I'm home!" he called out, passing the kitchen, but stopped and backed up, giving Itachi a horrified expression, "Why the hell are you dressed like that?"

Itachi shrugged with wide eyes as he gestured down at the cake, "I'm baking…"

"You look like a girl! What the hell is wrong with you?" Sasuke gasped in disbelief, looking disgusted.

"Hey! When you're wife asks you to bake a cake for your daughter's birthday, you'll do it too!" Itachi snapped back, pointing a scoop full of pink icing at his younger brother.

Sasuke groaned, embarrassed and said, "you could have at least not worn the pink apron…you look ridiculous!"

"I know I do! And for the record I like it that way! Now shut up!" Itachi snapped back. Ari and Hana stifled a laugh as Sasuke covered his eyes and walked to the living room. Itachi glared over to the two ladies at the table and said, "this is what you two have done to me…"

"You're welcome!" Ari responded.

"But anyway, who is this boy you two were talking about?" Itachi asked.

"Kai Senju," Hana answered curtly, "he was going on and on about wanting to ask someone out for Valentine's day, but I don't know who."

"I think it's going to be Hana," Mom grinned.

"Mom!" Hana whined.

Itachi could feel a nerve snap in his head. "_A Senju…_" he groaned. Ugh! That name just didn't sound appealing in the slightest! "Why would you date one of _them_? That clan is the worst!" Itachi groaned.

Ari rolled her eyes, "Oh shut up, Ita! You've never had grudges against other clans, especially not the Senju!"

"But! But! Senju and Uchiha get along like oil and water! They destroyed the Uchiha name!" Itachi croaked. From the living room, he could hear Sasuke break out into a loud fit of laughter as if to call BS on Itachi. Thanks little brother, you're so helpful…

"Okay, Madara!" Ari retorted. She stood and walked over to Itachi, placing her hands on his shoulders, "how about you go tell that to Lord Hokage and see what he has to say about that?"

"It was a joke…" Itachi mustered, feeling bitterly defeated. And as if on cue, Naruto came running into the house and threw his everything on the floor.

"At least hang your coat up!" Ari scolded as Naruto looked up. The Hokage in turn gasped and pointed at Itachi before he broke out laughing.

"You look like a girl!" Naruto cried out.

"I do not!" Itachi retorted, throwing his spatula on the ground. Ari started laughing and wrapped her arms around Itachi's neck.

"Just ignore him," Ari cooed as she untied the apron, taking it off Itachi, "although the pink really doesn't suit you."

"I know," Itachi sighed heavily, "but you told me to wear something…"

"I know, and I'm sorry, I didn't realize that this was all we had," Ari said gently, placing the apron on the counter, "and let's fix your hair…" she took Itachi's hair out of the bun and allowed it to fall onto his shoulders as she brushed it out with her fingers. "There," she said, "much better."

Itachi sighed heavily, a smile breaking out on his face as he wrapped his arms around her waist, "You're adorable."

"I try," Ari giggled as she pressed her forehead against his. They shared a small but sweet kiss and the two swayed back and forth gently.

Hana groaned and teased them, "you two are cute…but if you're going to take your clothes off, do it in your room…"

Ari jumped and glared at Hana, slightly embarrassed, but started laughing, "Hey! This will be you some day!"

Itachi's heart fell on that statement as he corrected, "but no for a very very long time! At least until you're our age! And no fooling around at all until marriage!"

"Like you did?" Hana retorted with a sly smile on her face.

"We were engaged! And I was dying!" Itachi tried desperately to explain, "no boys until marriage, missy! They're too gross!"

Hana sighed heavily as she rolled her eyes, "and this is why I don't have a boyfriend…"

"H-huh?" Itachi asked, distraught. Why did she-? Oooooh, please don't let this mean that the teenage attitude is kicking in for Hana already!

A few minutes later, Itachi and Ari heard the door slam to Hana's room.

Yep. Teenage attitude was kicking in…why did his little flower have to grow up…?

Ari pulled out of Itachi's embrace and glared at him before saying, "Sweetie, sit down. We need to talk."

"Yes ma'am," Itachi sighed heavily, taking a seat at the table. Ari sat across from him and took his hand in hers.

"I know this is hard, and you aren't going to like what I have to say," Ari began, "but you need to know this, and you have to promise that you aren't going to freak out on me."

"Okay," Itachi sighed.

"Hana likes boys," Ari said, "and she likes Kai Senju."

"She's too little!" Itachi shot to his feet, crying out.

"Hey! You promised you wouldn't freak out!" Ari scolded.

"This isn't freaking out, this is losing my dignity!" Itachi barked back.

"You lost that when you put that apron on, Love," Ari sighed heavily, "just sit down and let me finish."

"Oh god, my heart's going to give out again if you keep this up, Ari…" Itachi groaned, holding his chest.

"Don't even joke about that," Ari rolled her eyes.

"It wasn't a joke!" Itachi threw his hands in the air.

"And don't tell Hana this, but Kai really is going to ask her to be his Valentine," Ari said, "he asked me about it today during training, and I told him that he would have to talk to you before he asked Hana anything."

"And the answer is no," Itachi said stiffly, "I don't even know this boy. I won't let some stranger waltz up and put his grubby hands all over her like he owns her. She's my baby and I won't let that happen!"

"Itachi!" Ari snapped at him, "Kai is a very sweet boy. He has two older sisters and he knows how to treat a lady. You may not know him, but I do, and I can vouch for him as a kind and gentle boy. He reminds me a lot of you when we were that age, only a little more outgoing. Ita, I know it's hard, but sometimes you just have to let go a little bit. Trust your daughter, she just wants to feel loved by someone outside of her family. And consider yourself lucky that she's held your hand for this long. Most kids wouldn't be caught dead with their dad as their squad's instructor, but she loves it."

Itachi sighed heavily, feeling absolutely wretched. "I am grateful…but that doesn't make it any harder…she's my flower…" Itachi moaned.

Ari giggled and leaned forward to kiss Itachi before she said, "I know, Ita, I know. It's hard for me too, but Hana's a good girl. And she'll always love you. You're her knight in shining armor, remember?"

"Yeah," Itachi sighed, "I just hope Saya doesn't start getting boy-crazy too…if my baby started running around on her own too, I don't know what I would do…"

"Well, just be ready for when that happens," Ari smiled, "But don't think too far ahead. You're a great father, Ita, our kids will know what to do when it's time for us to let go, we just have to give them the freedom they need and guide them in the right direction. Just keep an eye on Shisui and make sure he doesn't turn into too much of a ladies' man, alright?"

"Well that's near impossible," Itachi groaned, letting out a light laugh, "the boy's just like his uncle!"

Ari laughed and wrapped her arms around Itachi's neck and she said, "I love you!"

"I love you too," Itachi sighed, closing his eyes. At around that moment, there came a knock on the door.

"That would be Kai," Ari stated, "you can talk to him while I keep Hana distracted upstairs, okay?"

Itachi stiffened as he walked to answer the door. He did not like where this was going in the slightest. He opened the door to find the brown, spikey-haired, and tan boy looking up at Itachi with fearful green eyes.

"H-Hi Itachi-sensei!" Kai stammered, trying to find the words, "I was just looking for you!"

"Please, come in," Itachi said in a cool voice. He opened the door wider as Kai stepped in, looking around. They walked back into the kitchen and Kai noticed the cake, his eyes widening in awe.

"Wow! That looks amazing! Who made that?" Kai asked, admiring the decorations on the cake.

"I did," Itachi answered curtly. Kai looked at Itachi suspiciously and then eyed the apron.

"You didn't wear that pink thing, too…did you?" Kai asked innocently. Itachi stiffened and crossed his arms. Behind him, he could hear Naruto and Sasuke snickering as they peaked their heads in to spy on the conversation. Itachi activated his sharingan and glared at the two, causing the boys to jump and retreat to safety.

"Have a seat, Kai," Itachi said in a serious tone, "Ari told me that I should be expecting you."

"Oh?" Kai asked, his face paling. The boy obeyed Itachi's orders and sat down, his nerves getting the better of him. Good, the brat should be afraid. If he wanted to date Itachi's precious flower, the kid would have to get through him first. "Well then, Itachi-sensei…sir…I guess you know why I'm here then."

"Just spit it out, kid," Itachi ordered, "I don't know you as well as Ari does, and she may be okay with you running around with Hana, but you're really going to convince me in the short amount of time we have: what makes you think you're worthy to date my daughter?"

Kai jumped and looked down, a little hurt by the question. Looking back on this day, Itachi probably would have felt bad for patronizing the poor boy, but in that moment he didn't care. All Itachi knew was that this was some punk Senju kid who was pursuing one of the most precious things in Itachi's life. His children meant everything to him, and the last thing Itachi wanted to see happen was one of them getting hurt.

"Actually sir," Kai finally began, "I really don't think I'm all that worthy…"

"What?" Itachi raised an eyebrow, completely and utterly shocked by the boy's answer.

"I think your daughter is the nicest, prettiest, and sweetest girl in the world. She was one of my first friends, and I want nothing more than to make her happy. But, you're right, I'm a kid and I probably don't deserve the honor of being Hana's Valentine. I'm sorry for wasting your time, Itachi-sensei…"

Kai started to get up and leave, his shoulders hanging in defeat. Itachi's eyes shifted from Kai to the birthday cake to Sasuke and Naruto who were still spying on the conversation. The two boys glared at Itachi as if they expected him to stop Kai.

Giving in, and fighting every urge to tell the brat to close the door when he leaves, Itachi stood up and grasped Kai's shoulder, "Now hold on, I didn't say you couldn't date her yet!"

"What?" Kai turned and looked up at Itachi, confused.

Sighing heavily, Itachi really struggled to do what he felt in his heart was right. This was almost harder than wiping out the Uchiha. "The way you or I measure our worth of women is vastly different from how the women in our lives measure our worth. I too didn't see myself worthy of being at Ari's side, and yet she took me as her husband. Who knows, perhaps Hana finds you more than worthy of being her valentine this year. She's always wanted one. And after all, it is her birthday."

A smile started to spread across Kai's face as his green eyes got big and sparkly, "you really mean that?"

Itachi couldn't help but smile at that. Okay, maybe this kid wasn't so bad after all. "Of course I mean it," Itachi said, "alright, here's what you are going to do:" Itachi leaned in close to Kai and whispered instructions into the boy's ear as they planned the perfect way of winning over Hana's heart.

* * *

**Hana**

I buried my face into my pillow, crying. I wasn't mad at Mom or Dad or anything, I was just so frustrated with myself. It broke Dad's heart to know that he wasn't enough for me anymore, and it broke my heart to know I was so selfish. After all, he was probably the only man in the world who would ever love me that much.

Mom came in and tried to comfort me, apologizing for Dad, but I shooed her away, "It's not his fault," I whimpered, "can I just be alone for a little bit?"

"Sure sweetheart," Mom said gently, kissing my cheek, "but don't beat yourself up too much, it's a day for celebrating remember?"

I cried to my heart's content, eventually sitting up as I rubbed my face. I paced around my room, trying to feel better. I caught sight of my beta fish, Bubbles, swimming lazily towards the top of his fish tank. After the War, I started keeping blue beta fish as pets, naming them after Uncle Dory (is it bad that I don't exactly remember what his real name was? Mom only ever calls him Jaws and I was four when he died…my first beta fish had his real name and Dad will at least use it when he talks about him, but it's hard to remember. It began with a 'K' I think…Kevin? Kilobati? Kishimoto?)

I was just starting to feel better when I heard a knock on the door and Dad came in, "Hey Birthday Girl, how are you?"

"Hi Daddy," I said sadly. I went over and sat down on the bed, avoiding eye contact.

"Can I come in?" he asked, opening the door a little wider, "Mom said you needed some time alone."

"I'm fine…you can come in," I answered. Dad stepped into my room and closed the door. He looked around, examining the place. He smiled warmly when he saw my old stuffed rabbit Tim-Tim sitting on the dresser. He picked it up and held it as he sat down next to me.

"You know, I remember when you wouldn't go anywhere without Tim-Tim," Dad said softly, "he was well-loved."

"He still is," I answered, taking the filthy rabbit into my arms and holding it tightly.

"Do I smother you too much?" Dad asked suddenly.

I stared at Dad in confusion and shook my head, "what? No! Why do you say that?"

Dad shrugged, "Well, you're my little girl. My first-born…my flower…nothing makes me more proud or more saddened to watch my three angels growing up into the wonderful people I know they will be. Especially you, Hana. You may not have been born to us, but you were the miracle that came to your mom and me when we thought we wouldn't be able to have kids."

"Love, not blood," I nodded my head. That catch-phrase was something Mom and Dad always used when Shisui and Saya were first born. Being the naïve girl I was, I was once afraid that the new babies in the house would push me out of the picture, especially since I was adopted, but my parents always told me that I was and would always be their precious little flower, that I was their daughter through love, not blood. Looking back, I know how ridiculous that was, but it was still comforting to know just how much my parents loved me.

"Exactly," Dad said, "and I know I can be overprotective sometimes, especially when it comes to boys. I just know how some men can be and I see what a beautiful young lady you're becoming and I'm terrified of you getting hurt. I just want to keep you safe, you know? But I hope I'm not discouraging you from growing up and living a little. The only thing worse for a parent than seeing their child getting hurt is seeing their child unhappy ."

"Oh Dad," I said as I threw my arms around him, "I love you so much!"

"I love you too, my flower," Dad said softly, kissing the top of my head. I sat myself down on his lap as Dad grunted under my weight. Still, he wrapped his arms around me and pulled me close, "So tell me, is your goofy father too overbearing?"

"No," I shook my head. I then held up the flower-shaped locket I always wore around my neck and showed it to him. He gave me the necklace when I was four, and on the inside rested a poem I had all but memorized word-for-word and a picture of Mom, Dad, and me when I was little. "Daddy, you're the best dad a girl could ask for, and this locket is proof."

"Aw, sweetie," Dad smiled as he closed his eyes to hide the fact that I made him tear up. He pulled me closer to him and tickled my sides, causing me to squirm and giggle in his grasp, "So it's not all my fault that you don't have a boyfriend yet?"

"Ugh…not in the slightest," I groaned, my mood turning sour all over again.

"Now what's that face for?" Dad asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Dad, I'm not good enough for catch a boy's attention," I sighed, crossing my arms, "I'm too prissy…"

"Now don't start that up," Dad said, "have you been hanging out with Aoki too much?"

I rolled my eyes, "that's not the point, Dad. Every other girl in my class except for me has had at least one Valentine before. And I got the weakest score on the taijutsu tests at the academy. I'm too weak to fight!"

"Taijutsu isn't everything," Dad said, shaking his head, "and your strengths are in genjutsu and chakra control. We already had this discussion today. You're a kind and gentle girl. Just because you don't like to fight others doesn't mean you're weak. And what does physical strength have to do with getting a date?"

I groaned and covered my face. At that moment, Mom came into the room and explained, "because it's all the tomboys like me who are getting the boys in her class."

"What she said," I sighed. Mom took a seat next to Dad and me and started to rub my back.

"Girls like Aiko?" Dad asked and I nodded my head. Aiko was on Mom's squad and she was by far the best kunoichi in my class. She was headstrong and blunt, always telling you what she really thought and not afraid of anything. Needless to say, she was the one who always had a boyfriend.

"Let's just face it, I'm hopeless. Maybe I would have had a chance if I grew up in your time, Mom, but even then, I'm hopeless. I'm too different!" I whined. I rolled off of Dad's lap and onto my back.

"Hana, let me tell you a little known secret about boys," Dad offered, "to be honest, even if you did grow up with Mom, you would still be thinking the same way you are now."

"And why is that?" I asked.

"Because us boys aren't looking at the prettiest girl or the strongest girl to ask out. That doesn't matter to us. And it isn't because you are prissy that you've never been asked out before," he said, "it's because you're so kind. It's for the same reason I struggled with asking your mom out on a date."

Mom and I both looked up at Dad, confused as we asked, "What?"

Mom crossed her arms and shook her head, "Ita, what are you talking about? I was too much of a tomboy to catch anyone's attention."

Dad shook his head, "that's where you're wrong. In fact, Ari, a lot of boys had their eyes on you, they just never mustered up the courage to ask you on a date. I can imagine it's the same thing the boys in Hana's class are dealing with now. It's easy going after the head strong, tell-it-to-your-face type of girls, because you know exactly what they are thinking. But the kind and gentle girls like you two, the best ones, they are the most intimidating because you don't know what's inside their heads. They are so full of love, that you aren't sure if they see you as a friend or as more, and even if they were to agree to your proposal, you fear that they only did so to make you happy, and you question whether or not you're worth that girl's time. The cowards either go after the easier girls or do nothing at all. I mean, it took your Uncle Shisui dying and the Uchiha coup to finally get me to muster up the courage to tell your mother how I really felt, and that was because I figured she'd say 'no' and I wanted her to know before I left for good."

"Ita…" Mom said quietly, "Do you really feel that way?"

Dad shrugged, "well, I don't think about it as much anymore. You know how I felt about myself when I was sick, Ari. I just wanted you to be happy and I felt like you deserved better. But now, I feel more like I am one of the luckiest men alive to have you, who has deemed me worth of being your husband. But Hana, don't beat yourself up. You're a rare gem in a pool of rocks that boys are afraid to pick up because it's so precious. I don't know how long it will take, but someday, in the sea of cowards will come on courageous son-of-a-gun who will hold out his hand and ask to take you as his own. He may not see himself worthy, but for being one who has the courage to tell you just how beautiful you are, you know that he will be worth it."

My lips quivered as I threw my arms around Daddy, "Thank you!" I said, holding him tightly. I could feel Dad sigh heavily, shaking as he did so, in my arms. I didn't know how hard it was for him to say that, but it meant the world to me to know that he had my back.

Mom reached forward and wiped dad's cheek as she said, "Oh, Ita, I'm so proud of you." And then the three of us shared a long embrace. After a while, Mom stood up and said, "Oh! Look at the time, school will be out soon and the family will be coming over in less than an hour. We've got to get ready!"

"I'll go get the twins," Dad said. He pulled his hair back into a low ponytail and went downstairs to put his green vest and his shoes on before he left. Mom ran downstairs to start fixing dinner and I went to take a shower. When I came out of the shower, I heard Saya and Shisui running around giggling and screaming.

"Inside voices!" Mom cried out from the kitchen. In response, I heard Uncle Naruto breaking out into his own laughter as he crashed and fell to the floor. I peered over the staircase and saw Naruto lying on the floor with Shisui standing triumphantly on top of him. Dad was sitting next to him laughing while Sasuke had Saya on his shoulders as she played with his hair.

"Why do you make so many faces, Uncle Duckey?" she asked, a big smile on her face.

"I'm not a duck!" Sasuke retorted, crossing his arms.

"But your hair looks like one! It's so spikey and fluffy!" Saya giggled, fluffing the back of Uncle Sasuke's head up.

Mom stepped into the room, her hands on her hips as she glared at the five and said, "if you guys are going to rough-house and scream, you can take it outside. But geezes, you guys! Someone could get hurt if you all aren't careful!"

Shisui got a mischievous smile on his face as he leapt off of Uncle Naruto and ran up to Mom at full speed screaming, "Get the fooooox!"

Saya leapt off of Uncle Sasuke and followed suit crying out, "GET THE FOOOX!" Mom yelped as the twins jumped on her, playing one of their favorite ninja games. Mom would pretend to be a monster and chase us around and our job would be to "slay" her. Dad would switch from playing on Mom's side to sometimes being a spy for us, sneaking around and giving us helpful hints.

I quickly hurried to my room and changed into a cute skirt and blouse before I ran down the stairs crying out, "GET THE FOOOOOX!" as I leapt onto Mom's back.

"HANA!" Mom growled, spinning around, trying to get the three kids off of her, "Set an example for your siblings, would you?"

I laughed wildly, not caring about how rowdy I was making the twins. We squealed and cried as we finally brought Mom down on her back. I lied down next to her, laughing uncontrollably as Saya bounced on top of Mom and Shisui ran around us in circles.

"Itachi! Control your children!" Mom ordered, losing her patience. Dad in turn laughed as he scooped the twins up into his arms, holding them on their stomachs as they screamed and laughed. I rolled onto my belly and propped my head up with my hands, still giggling. Eventually, Mom couldn't stay mad at us and she sat up, a big smile on her face.

And just to add to the chaos, Grandpa and Auntie barged into the house as Auntie cried out, "where's the birthday girl?"

"Auntie!" I cried out, leaping to my feet with joy as I leapt into my birth mother's arms. Auntie Tabi spun me around.

"Ooh! You've gotten so big! Let me get a look at you," Auntie said, looking me over. She gave me a cat-like grin, her violet eyes sparkling as she said, "you look stunning, dear! I bet your poor dad has been chasing the boys off of you all day."

I sighed heavily and looked down. Auntie gave me a weird look but then looked up at Mom who made slid her hand in front of her neck, telling Auntie to not mention the 'b' word.

"Sister, she's an independent woman, she doesn't need a man to depend on," Grandpa said gruffly. Mom walked over and gave him a big hug, his face lighting up when he saw her. After the war, Uncle Naruto and Uncle Bee freed the tailed beasts from the Juubi and then released uncle Gyuuki and Grandpa from their own seals. The Nine Tailed beasts have traveled the world since, protecting it silently. But twice a year (on mine and Shisui and Saya's birthdays) they all gathered here for a family feast.

"Hi Daddy!" Mom said with a big smile on her face.

"How've you been, Ariala?" Grandpa asked. Mom nodded, still smiling. Dad came over to greet Grandpa, and in turn, Grandpa smiled wide as he patted Dad on the shoulder with a warm welcome. "And how is my oldest granddaughter?"

"I'm great!" I said, my smile returning to my face. I gave Grandpa a big hug before the twins ran over, jumping up and down with excitement. Naruto stood as well, excited to see the bijuu and close friend which once dwelled inside of him.

"Naruto, you aren't slacking off on your duties as Hokage, are you?" Grandpa joked.

Mom groaned and teased, "he always does!"

"I do not! I'm the best Hokage there is!" Naruto retorted. At that, we all laughed, because we knew there was a great truth to it. Mom finished dinner preparations and then went up to shower as we all took turns getting ready and visiting. As the night wore on, Sakura and Hinata came over (Sasuke and Naruto were going on a double date after dinner, and I was good friends with both Sakura and Hinata, so I asked if they could come over for dinner too), and the rest of my aunts and uncles slowly filtered into the house. We crammed at the overcrowded dining room table, shouting to talk to each other and fighting for food and just being merry. We finished dinner by six and Mom brought out the cake.

"Well, shall we sing happy birthday?" Auntie Tabi asked as she helped mom stick the candles into the cake.

"Wait!" Dad said suddenly, keeping Mom from lighting the candles, "Let's wait a few minutes, shall we? There's a present coming for Hana that I think she should see first."

"Ita, we're doing presents after cake," Mom said, raising an eyebrow, but Dad winked at her and Mom caught on to what I wasn't getting, "you didn't!"

"I did," Dad grinned. He then turned to the rest of the family and said, "As we all know, Hana's birthday falls on Valentine's Day: the day of love. Well, it just doesn't seem fair that our guest of honor tonight doesn't have a Valentine, now does it?"

Everyone shook their heads, knowing smiles growing on their faces. Shukaku broke out into a hearty laugh and patted me on the back. Everyone seemed to be getting something that I was missing. But then the doorbell rang. Even the twins were giggling about something they knew that I didn't.

"Hana, could you get that?" Mom asked, trying to hide her smile. Confused I went over to the door and opened it, but nearly fell on my butt in shock as I saw who awaited me.

"Happy Valentine's Day!" Kai cheered, holding out flowers and a heart-shaped package of chocolates tied to a balloon, "and Happy Birthday!"

"Kai?" I asked in disbelief, "What…what are you doing here?"

"Well can I come in or not?" Kai asked. I turned around to find Mom, Dad, Auntie, and everyone else watching us, but they averted their gaze away from us to pretend like they weren't spying. I numbly nodded my head and let him in. "Uh…these are for you, your dad told me Hershey's chocolate and roses were your favorite…" Kai said, holding out the gifts. I took them into my arms, still confused. _Dad_ told him that?

"What are these for?" I asked.

"For you, silly!" Kai smiled brightly. I looked up at him, trying hard to hide my blush.

"But…why me?" I asked again.

"Well," Kai looked over at my parents who gave him the thumbs-up before he took my hands and asked, "Hana Nii, will you do the honor of being my valentine this year? And maybe…maybe even my girlfriend?"

"Uh…" I stared at Kai blankly. The longer I paused, the more his smile started to fall. "But…why me?" I repeated like an idiot.

Kai broke out into a sweet laughter as he rubbed the back of his head, "because you're the prettiest girl in Konoha! And you're the sweetest and you're a great friend! I'd like to be the guy who can make you happy, and I'd love to do that as your boyfriend, but if you're happier with me as just your friend, I can do that too."

I looked up at Kai, unable to resist the smile spreading across my face as I held back tears as I threw my arms around Kai and said, "well, I did say no girl would be able to turn you down if you ever asked them out! Of course I'll be your girlfriend!"

"Really?" Kai asked, beaming. He then leapt up into the air and cheered, "YES! I am SO honored!"

Mom started laughing and walked over to us saying, "you're just in time for cake, Kai, come on in!"

We all went back to the kitchen table and Kai took a seat next to me, holding my hand. We finished eating cake and opening presents before the twins had to go to bed. Naruto and Sasuke left with Hinata and Sakura while some of my aunts and uncles went home, leaving my parents, Auntie, Grandpa, Kai, and me to visit in the living room. I found out that Dad had even given Kai two tickets to see a movie that I was supposed to go see with him.

"Are you sure about that, Ita?" Mom asked, "you two were really looking forward to seeing that together."

"I can go see it another time," Dad shrugged, looking away. I sighed heavily, knowing how hard this must've been for him. Dad shook his head, forcing a smile as he said, "Now you two go have fun! The night is still young after all!"

"Okay!" I said cheerfully, I then wrapped my arms around Daddy and gave him the biggest hug I could, "I love you."

"I love you too," Dad said with a shaky voice.

I looked up at him and smiled as I kissed his cheek and whispered, "Love, not blood…remember? I'm still your flower."

"I know," Dad chuckled, "Believe me, I know. And thank you."

With that, I took Kai's hand and we left my house, playing tag all the way to the movie theater.

* * *

**Ari**

She couldn't believe it. Was this the same Itachi Uchiha she was arguing with this morning? Ari looked up at Ita, his eyes were glistening and he pursed his lips, trying hard not to lose his masculinity, especially not in front of his Bijuu in-laws.

Dad crossed his arms in approval and nodded, "that certainly took some guts, Itachi. I must say I'm impressed!"

Ita sighed heavily and nodded, "thank you, Kurama…"

Ari smiled and shook her head, this was a lot harder on Ita than anyone probably could have imagined. The prodigy of the Uchiha, the Savior of the Leaf, one half of the Ultimate Tag Team, and he had been brought down to a near tearful mess at the sight of his little girl falling in love with another man.

"Well, Itachi, I don't think you have to worry about Hana with Kai. I've given that boy my Mother's approval. He passes," Auntie Tabi smiled assuringly.

Ari rolled her eyes, "Mother's approval? Since when are you taking on that role?"

"I have to do it sometimes," Auntie Tabi joked, "I'm the favorite aunt, but when it comes to things like boys, Hana needs me to step up and play Mom #2. You can't have too much protection after all."

At that, Ari laughed. Auntie Tabi was really good about giving her second opinion and playing the second mom for both Hana and Ari. She considered it her job to know everything and anything about her niece and her daughter that she could poke her nose into and she was really good at giving advice.

"Well, now that that's over, could you guys excuse us?" Ari asked, placing her arm around Itachi's waist. Dad and Auntie were staying the night, so they would all have plenty of time to visit later. The two Bijuu looked over at Itachi who was visibly having separation anxiety and nodded, smiling as they retired for bed. Sighing, Ari looked over at her distraught husband and led him up to their bedroom. Once there, Itachi sat down on the bed and covered his face with his hands. Ari smiled, sitting next to him as she rubbed his back and said, "I'm really proud of you, you know that?"

"This is too hard…" Ita whimpered, "Kai really is a great kid, but this is too hard. I'm not sure I can do this.."

"Oh, Ita," Ari said, wrapping her arms around her husband gently, "I always warned you that your kids would one day have you wrapped around their little fingers. You'll be okay."

"But she's my baby!" Ita covered his face, furiously fighting his tears, "she's my flower…I can't let her go just yet!"

"And you don't have to," Ari cooed, "you just have to loosen your grip is all. And she will always always love you. You're always going to be her knight in shining armor."

"And how do you know that?" Ita asked, peering at Ari a little skeptical.

Ari chuckled as she kissed Itachi gently on the lips and said, "because she hasn't taken that locket off since the day you gave it to her, that's how."

Ita shrugged and nodded, avoiding eye contact. Ari shook her head and she got up to close the door, locking it. She then went over and sat on Itachi's lap, facing him and straddling his waist as she pushed him gently onto his back.

"What are you doing?" he asked curiously between Ari's gentle kisses.

Ari sat up and smiled as she said, "well, it is Valentine's Day, and you deserve a special something for being such a wonderful husband to me, especially after all that you just did for Hana and Kai."

"Oh?" Itachi asked, a small smile creeping up on his face, "and what's that."

Ari giggled as she pulled her shirt off, then pressed her chest against Ita's as she kissed him gently. Catching on, Ita rolled Ari onto her back and began to undress himself as he kissed her neck and collar passionately. Within moments, the two had removed the barriers between them and made sweet love as their breathing and heart beats synchronized with each other.

"The movie will be over by 10," Itachi panted, "we have to be done by then."

"Still give us a couple hours," Ari breathed, gasping as Itachi pushed himself into her. She closed her eyes and enjoyed feeling Ita's body against hers, her mind traveling to a sweet bliss.

"Happy Valentine's Day, my love," Ita whispered gently in her ear.

"I love you," Ari whispered back.

* * *

**Hana**

Kai and I walked home hand-in-hand talking the movie over. It was so absolutely fantastic, about a girl named Iris who was from a world called Mika. They weren't shinobi, but Iris reminded me a lot of a half-bijuu. And we both cried our eyes out when her dragon Han died.

"Man, and when those Shadow Walkers came out at them!" Kai gasped, throwing his arms into the air.

"I know!" I laughed. He walked me up to my doorstep, and we stopped at the door as I turned to face Kai, our hands in each other's. "Well, tonight was fun," I said.

"Yeah, it really was," Kai agreed. We then stood there awkwardly, shuffling our feet for a moment. I looked up to say something at Kai when he said, "I think you're really great…"

"Thank you," I muttered, "I think you're pretty great too…"

"Hana?"

"Yeah?"

"Could I…um…" Kai stammered, slowly leaning towards me. My heart started pounding in my chest as I leaned closer to him. Our lips touched gently as we closed our eyes. It only lasted for a second, but the kiss was the sweetest thing I had ever experienced in my life. We broke apart, both of us with goofy smiles on our faces. "Well, I guess I'll see ya tomorrow," Kai said.

"Yeah! Bye Kai!" I said, waving as he left. When he thought I wasn't looking, he leapt into the air, shooting his fist above his head as he cheered, then skipped the rest of the way home. Equally giddy, I walked into my house to see my mom just barely plopping onto the couch with a book in hand, Dad was walking to the kitchen as if he were cleaning up, Grandpa was leaning against the wall glaring at the two, and Auntie was still kneeling by the window looking up at me, guilty as charged.

Because she was the one I caught red-handed, I glared at Auntie.

"What?" she asked, "I'm the one who pushed you out of my uterus, I hold the right to spy on you every now and then!"

I forced my grin down as I looked over at Mom who was sitting in her bath robe. She sat up smiling when she saw me looking at her and said, "Hi, sweetie! How was your date?"

I shook my head and said, "I think you guys know."

"Know what?" Mom asked, "trust me, I didn't see anything! Dad pulled me away from the window when you guys walked up so I don't know what happened!"

"I do!" Auntie shot her hand up into the air, proud to throw her parental dignity away. Mom, Dad, and Grandpa all groaned and rolled their eyes at her. "What?" Auntie asked, "I can still spy on her! It's not like she can get mad at me, I'm just the aunt!"

"You just said you're the one who gave birth to her," Grandpa face-palmed.

"I did!" Auntie answered, "and because I did, I reserve the right to spy, but because I'm not the one raising her, I can do so without embarrassing her. Being the favorite aunt has a lot of perks, you know!"

"Oh, good grief, Tabi," Mom sighed, "But anyway! Hana, what happened? I must know everything!"

"Ari, now you're being the spy!" Dad scolded. I looked over at him standing at the doorway, shirtless and in sweat pants. I held in a grin as I looked to Dad's shirtless torso and Mom covered in a bathrobe. I know what they were doing…

"Oh shush, Ita, I'm not being the spy, I'm just being nosy! I'm the one raising you; I hold the right to know everything there is to know about your personal life. And it's my responsibility to completely embarrass you in doing so!" Mom protested, mimicking Auntie Tabi.

I giggled lightly and shook my head, "I'm tired, can we talk more in the morning?"

"Sure thing!" Mom said, smiling. I gave her a hug and a kiss before I bid everyone good night. I hugged Auntie, then Grandpa, and then finally, Daddy. He got the biggest hug of all. I started walking up the stairs when Mom caved and she finally asked, "just tell me one thing that happened. Please? How did he bid you goodnight?"

"Ari," Dad scolded.

"They kissed," Auntie answered. I squealed and covered my red face while Dad turned green and he nearly fell on the floor.

"I didn't need to know that!" he groaned, causing everyone else to laugh.

"Well, I know all that I need to know then, Hana, you're telling me all about it tomorrow, okay?" Mom said, smiling big as she patted Dad on the back while he attempted to maintain what was left of his composure.

I smiled and nodded as I walked upstairs. I went in my room and put my pajamas on as I lied down in bed, unable to contain my smile.

From that day on, Valentine's Day became the best holiday ever.


End file.
